Box Heritage Trail

1 From the Rock Circus cross the boundary edge of the Rec. At lane turn left and under the railway bridge and walk past Box Mill to the public footpath on your right by the side of the By Brook.

2 Follow the By Brook over footbridge, then left through gate into open fields along the By Brook.

3 Continue on the public footpath to its junction with the lane. Turn right down the lane and right again over the By Brook down to Drewetts Mill.

4 Walk up the steep lane to Millsplatt Farm on your left, a Grade II listed farmhouse with barn and cottages. The name of the area means the plot of land next to the mill. Follow a track up the steps and continue on the footpath up to the main road and the site of the former Rising Sun Public House.

5, 6, 7  From the Rising Sun site continue a short way up to the next road junction and take care crossing the A4 up to Hedgesparrow Lane. Turn first right onto Beech Road, which follows the line of the tramway from Clift Quarry to the GWR. Walk down Beech Road and turn left onto the public bridleway and walk up as far as the steps on the left, sometimes called “Stairway to Heaven”.

At Quarryman’s Arms turn right and continue across Box Hill Common.

8 Walk across Box Common to where it slopes down to Quarry Hill where there are fine views from the Common across the By Brook valley towards Bath. Go straight across with care and enter Quarry Woods at the bridleway/footpath sign. Continue into the woods on the bridleway on your left.

9, 10 At point 10 you can extend the walk to Hazelbury Manor, a Grade I listed building. Follow the bridleway to the next way marker and turn left. Follow the public footpath until it turns right at a way marker and turn right.

Alternatively, take the footpath right, down through the woods and past the telecom tower on your right to point 12.

11 After you complete the loop, you will be back at point 10 where you take the public footpath right through the woods onto Quarry Hill passing a tall telecom mast tower on your right. Walk down Quarry Hill road, then turn right at gate.

12 Turn right through gate, bear left and downhill.

13 Turn left over stile into woods.

Walk straight-on through the woods and out onto the main road at the specially built viewing platform to the western portal of Box Tunnel (point 14).

14 After viewing the tunnel portal take care crossing the main road and turn left onto the railway bridge, listed Grade II. To the right in the distance lies the east portal of Middle Hill Tunnel, Grade II*.

Continue down A4 London Road. The house on your right was once occupied by the Reverend Wilbert Vere Awdry, author of “Thomas the Tank Engine” stories. Carefully cross Mill Lane near the Post Office and stop where you can see the Market Place opposite.

15 Continue past the terrace and turn right onto the footpath which takes you down by Fairmead View Terrace.

16 From here you find your route back via Mill Lane to Box Rec and the main car park.

Print navigation content